How would you describe your emergence as the Odemo of Isara?
I give glory to God because my emergence was an act of God, not of any human being
Did it ever occur to you that one day, you will become an Oba?
Some time ago, I had a dream. In that dream, they called on me that I should come home. On getting home, I was told that I had been picked by Ifa divination as the oba of the town. At that time, the incumbent oba was still alive. I was confused. I could not sleep overnight. I called on one of my pastors, Pastor Oluwole and narrated my dream to him. He prayed for me and said daddy, God has shown you what He wanted to do. I asked how that could be possible when the reigning oba was still living. Twenty-eight days after my dream, I was informed that the then oba had joined his ancestors. That was how we started the struggle. I was elected by the kingmakers on the 3rd of March, 2011. My opponent who scored no vote took me to court. One of our elder brothers who came second with four votes was called upon to join them in the court matter but he declined. He urged them to stop the litigation but they refused. They went to court in 2013. To the glory of God, I won the case on the 29th of March, 2018. The court declared me as the winner; that my election was lawful and valid
You said the next person to you scored four votes, how many votes did you score?
I scored five votes out of the nine votes cast by the kingmakers. Prince Michael Taiwo Omoyele scored four votes. The person that took me to court, Prince Falolu Odunsi, scored no vote. Yet, he headed for the court.
Are you all not from the same ruling house?
The whole ruling houses in Ishara have been gazetted since 1957, during the Chief Obafemi Awolowo regime. So, we have six ruling houses. It has been scheduled that a particular ruling house will rule at a particular period.
You are from which of the ruling houses?
I am from Erinsiba Ayole Ruling House
What exactly was the grouse of the complainant?
He is the only one that knows his grouse. He did not say the process was manipulated, he just wanted the result cancelled
Kabiyesi, you said earlier that you spoke with your pastor. That suggests that you are a Christian.
Yes, I am a Christian; an elder in the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC).
After the court verdict, any move to reconcile the aggrieved party?
Prince Omoyele, the man who scored four votes, congratulated me recently. He has visited me. He is older than me. He is about 90 years old. He gives me useful and genuine advice all the time. He is equally advocating support for me.
You have spent so many years on litigation. Now that the war is over, what are your programmes for the development of Isara?
The most important thing is infrastructure. For instance, we don’t have water in Isara, Even if it is borehole, the government should give us. I am working towards meeting with the executive and the legislature with a view to facilitating developmental projects in the town, especially road and water. I am also going to interact with some private investors who can make use of our land for factories and industries for the benefit of our people.
How would you describe your predecessor in office?
Engineer Adebayo Idowu Onadeko. To me, he loved this town. He was very brave. When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was the president of Nigeria, he went to him (he was an engineer in the Army like Chief Obasanjo himself). The meeting he had with Obasanjo produced the Isara/Ago Iwoye Road. That road is expected to link Ile Ife from Ago Iwoye, passing through Ijebu Igbo, Ikoyi, down to Ife. As a matter of fact, he united the town. He told us then that he did not want to hear anything like Ajino and Itun Abi. His position was that Isara is one.
Can you give a brief background about yourself?
I am from a poor family. I started primary school in January 1950, at Methodist School, Isara. That time, we were going to Standard Two when they changed it to Primary Three Special. From there, I went to Modern School. In 1963, I was appointed as a Relief Teacher in the old Remo Local Government. I taught at Sabo, Sagamu and some other places before I joined the Nigeria Police Force. I was in Nigeria Police till 1976. I was a police prosecutor. It was the magistrate whom I was prosecuting for who advised me to leave the police. That was in 1976. He studied my way of prosecution and advised that I leave the force. Incidentally, it was a time that I should re-engage, to use police terminology. Then, I was at State CID, Panti, Lagos. I left the police and joined the defunct Star Insurance Company Limited. From Star Insurance, I went to International Insurance Group. From there, I went to Sovereign Trust Insurance. It was during the period of merger. I am still with the Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc. That was the journey before the struggle for obaship stool started in 2007. The first time we went to court was to challenge an aspirant who is not from our ruling house but insisted on contesting the stool with us. He took us to court but by the grace of God, we were able to win that case. When we got back home, we started another legal battle. The kingmakers voted for me on 3rd of March, 2011. Then, an aspirant who did not score a single vote went to court but by the grace of God, I also won that case on 29th of March, 2018
Did you regret leaving the Nigeria Police considering the juicy perks there?
I did not regret it at all.
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At 77 years, you look cute and fit. How do you unwind?
It is the grace of God.
If you flash black, can you recollect some naughty things you did in the past that you regret now?
Maybe when I was hunting.
Hunting for ladies?
Noooo. (laughs) Hunting for animals. I could recollect that I was in the habit of running after snakes. No matter how big a snake was, I used to run after it. When a snake entered a hole, I used to get stick, dig the hole and ensure that I killed the snake. But now, I ask myself what if those snakes had turned back and attacked me? That is one of the things I can say I regret doing.
Did you have any contact with the current IGP while in the Force?
I left the police about 42 years ago. I’m not sure the IGP had joined the police then.
Kabiyesi, you belong to two groups noted for having many wives, that is the police and the royal stool. Now that you have just been coronated, any room for young olori?
There may be omo ori ite (royal baby). As a matter of fact, I have more than one wife.
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